At 6-foot-3, 265 pounds, Cornell has been considered one of the top defensive players in the country. Last year, he was ranked the No. 1 player in the Class of 2015 by ESPN.

Cornell said the Buckeyes have been recruiting him since the end of his freshman year.

"The choice (is) Ohio State," Cornell announced, according to Rivals.com. "I believe it is the right choice because I have family that lives 30 minutes from Ohio State, so I will never get homesick. Then, just the relationship I had with (assistant) coach Larry Johnson. He's been recruiting me since my freshman year and I felt he was the right coach for me."

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Part of the appeal to Cornell was Johnson's history of putting defensive linemen in the NFL.

"He's sent seven draft picks to the NFL," Cornell said. "I know going to him, I'm going to work and he's going to make me a better player. Then, you have Urban Meyer, who is one of the top coaches in college football right now. He knows how to teach the game, he knows how to win the game and he knows how to teach his players to be respectful young men."

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Cornell picked the Buckeyes over four other finalists: Penn State, Iowa, Notre Dame and Michigan State.

Even though the Gophers weren't in the mix to land him, Cornell thanked the University of Minnesota and head coach Jerry Kill for supporting him throughout the process.